Filing-cabinet.



G. A. SHOEMAKER.

FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2a, 1903.

No. 788,072. PATENTBD APR. 25, 1905.

3 BHEBTS-SHBBT 1.

No. 788,072. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905. G. A. SHOEMAKER.

FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 26, 1903.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 788,072. PATENTED APR. 25, 1905. G, A. SHOEMAKER.

FILING CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED once. 2a, 1903.

a SHEETS-$111131 a.

Patented April 25, 1905.

UMTED STATES ATENT FFIcE.

UEORGE A. SHOEMAKER, OF OHIO-AGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SEOTIONAL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE,

PORAT ION.

METAL A COR- FILING-CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l-atent No. 788,072, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed October 26, 1903. Serial No. 178,596.

Be it known thatI, Gnono n A. SHOEMAKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a full and accurate de scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

.\Iy invention has reference to supports for drawers in tiling-cabinets, and has special reference to that class of supports which follow the said drawers in opening and closing the same.

In appreciation of the demand for economy of space in cabinet construction my invention has further special reference to the compactness of structure, as shown herein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 presents a front elevation of my cabinet, showing three drawers in perpendicular relation with each other. Fig. 2 is a perpendicular sectional view of my cabinet, taken just back of the front of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of my cabinet-ease, taken through the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 with the drawers removed, showing in detail my drawersupport. Fig. I is an enlarged detail of my support, showing the same in cross-section through a line I A in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the controllingstuds of the drawer-support. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of my cabinet, taken through the middle of the cabinet. This figure shows the three drawers broken horizontally and presents three views of my drawer-support. The upper drawer shows my suppert in position, with the drawer partially opened. The middle drawer shows the drawer in a similar position as that of the upper drawer and with the casing or track of the support partially broken away to show the construction of the support. The lower drawer is shown as closed, with dotted lines illustrating the position of my support when the drawer is opened.

More particularly described, A represents the case of my cabinet, constructed in any desirable manner and of any desirable and suitable materials. The form illustrated herein and the one I prefer to use consists of a steel 5 frame a, covered with sheets of steel (1. This case A is closed on the top and bottom and on three sides, the front side being arranged with openings for the reception of the drawers B B. side of the bottom of the position of the said drawers B B is placed horizontal with the said case A a hollow roller-track O. This track O is of such construction that it presents in cross-section a rectangle with a cen- 6O tral portion of the upper side of the rectangle cut away. (See Fig. 4.) This track O is approximately of the same length as the depth of the case A and is attached to the frame a of the case A by means of a series of angleirons c c, which are secured to the said frame a and track O in any suitable manner. \Vithin this track 0 and having sliding engagement with the same is a roller-slide D. This slide consists of two narrow and rigid strips (Z (Z, 7

of steel or other strong material, having affixed between them a series of rollers ll (Z'.

The outer portions of the bearing-faces of the rollers 1 (7 are greater in diameter than the width of the strips (6 (Z, so that the strips drawer Bis inserted within the case A, the 5 rib rests upon the rollers d d of the slide D, and the said rollers rest upon and lie within the said track (J. This construction of rollers just described and limited bearingsurfaces overcomes in a large measure the friction which in heavy constructions render the operation of drawers very dillicult.

In the operation of opening and closing the drawer it is designed that the roller-slide D shall follow the drawer. this purpose, I provide controlling devices, attached to the drawers B and to the slide I). The front l5 of the drawer I extend below \Vithin the said case and at either 55 The drawer B has 80 In order to effect device sufficiently to render its operation obthe surface of the bottom thereof in such mani ner that the said extended portion lies in opposition to the forward end of the slide D. By the contact of this extended front B of the drawer B with the end of the slide D the slide is forced backward into the track G when the drawer B is closed and at all times retained in the rear of the front of said drawer. In order to draw the slide forward as the drawer is opened, I arrange an inwardly-projecting stud d on the forward end of said slide D, and in opposition to said stud (Z I provide another stud, I), which projects downward from the bottom of said drawer B and about midway of its length. The opposition or contact of the studs d2 and Z) is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5. When' the drawer is closed, the stud 5' lies back of and free from the said stud (Z As the drawer is drawn forward in opening the stud 6 comes into contact with the stud (Z and the slide D is forced to follow the drawer in opening. (See dotted lines-in Fig. 6.)

When the drawer is opened, as shown in Fig. 6, the slide D projects from the front of the case A and being held in a rigid horizontal position by engagement with the track C supports the weight of the drawer B. In order to prevent the drawer from being drawn free from the case A, I provide a stop B, which I attach to the rear portion of the drawer B and which projects above the plane of the said drawer B, engaging the front of the frame a of the case A when the drawer is opened, thereby preventing the drawer B being pulled free from the case A.

The foregoing description illustrates my vious.

While I have described in detail the construction of my cabinet, I do not limit myself to any detailed construction as to form, size, and number of the parts used and claim the right to construct my cabinet of any size, of any capacity, and with any desirable arrangement of the drawers to the same. Any kind of material may be used which is strong and rigid.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a filing-cabinet, the combination of a roller-track a roller-slide having telescopic rolling engagement with said track, a drawer having engagement with said roller-slide and means for operating said slide in relation with said drawer consisting of a stud fitted to the front of said drawer and in opposition to the forward end of said slide, a stud fitted to the forward end of said slide, and a stud fitted to the bottom of said drawer, back of and in opposition to the said stud fitted to the said slic e.

2. The combination in a filing-cabinet, of a drawer fitted on its bottom with bearing-ribs, with a drawer-support consisting of hollow roller-tracks, secured to the frame of said cabinet and slotted along their upper sides in opposition to said bearing ribs, supports mounted upon rollers, which rollers have engagement with said roller tracks and said bearing-ribs, and means for projecting and retiring said supports from and into said tracks, substantially as described, and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination in a filing-cabinet, of a drawer fitted with bearing-ribs on its bottom, with a drawer-support consisting of rollertracks secured to the frame of said cabinet and in opposition to said bearing-ribs, supports mounted upon rollers, which rollers have engagement with said track and bearingribs, and means for projecting and retiring said supports from and within the face of said cabinet in relation with the action of said drawer, consisting of an inturned stud fitted to each of said supports and in opposition thereto, other studs fitted to the bottom of said drawer front and back on either side of said studs so fitted to the supports, substantially as described, and for the purposes herein set forth.

GEORGE A. SHOEMAKER.

Witnesses:

A. L. ERTZINGER, FOSTER BRANSON. 

